Wanzl Metallwartenfabrik GmbH ("Wanzl"), the largest global shopping cart manufacturer, announced today that it has acquired 100% of The French Company®, the leading Retail Equipment Service Provider in the US

NEWTON, N.C., July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Wanzl, based in Leipheim, Germany, continues to strengthen its position in the North American shopping cart market through a number of strategic acquisitions and management enhancements. Wanzl acquired the Technibilt^® / Cari-All^® group in the first quarter of 2012 and continues to expand its customer base and further enhance its North American market leadership position. The acquisition of The French Company will enable Wanzl to provide all aspects of the shopping cart experience: OEM, remanufacturing and in-field service. Additionally, The French Company's FacilityConnect^® division will provide additional diversification into facility services. The newly acquired company will now be called French Company, LLC.

Scott Dahl, CEO of Wanzl North American companies, commented, "The French Company  is an ideal fit for our operations here in North America and we are very pleased to have completed the acquisition. Their high quality services and innovative products, along with their excellent management team, will allow us to provide more comprehensive and effective solutions for our customers, both now and in the future. We look forward to the future growth and success that can be achieved through the many synergies of both companies."

Tim French, Founder and CEO of The French Company, stated, "We are happy to have Wanzl as our new owner. They have met the high criteria we set for a prospective buyer, including being a market leader, having a history of successful acquisitions, and maintaining a technology focus. Wanzl's core values and innovative culture aligns very well with The French Company and we think the future is extremely bright for French Company LLC, the FacilityConnect division, and the clients they serve."

About The French Company
The French Company, in business over 40 years and based in Twinsburg, Ohio, provides progressive business solutions to regional as well as Fortune 100/500 companies across the nation. The French Company provides customized maintenance, repair and cleaning service programs for rolling stock equipment, material handling equipment and shopping carts on a national level. The FacilityConnect division provides unique facility solutions for retailers, restaurant chains, property management/development companies and other multi-facility organizations and their maintenance service providers, vendors and contractors.  National field specialists provide customized facility assessments, site audits, site surveys, and asset tagging/tracking services. The intuitive eView^® software application allows facility assessments/audits/surveys across multiple locations.  eView OnLine^® houses the data connected to pictures, with integrated sorting and report generation capabilities.

About Wanzl
Wanzl, a 100 percent family owned company, is headquartered in Leipheim, Germany. Wanzl is the world's largest manufacturer of shopping carts and other retail systems. Each year, millions of units, in a variety of models, are produced and sold. For decades, the company has continued to develop landmark products for comfortable shopping and selling that have set new standards world-wide. Today, Wanzl has over 4,400 employees in eleven production facilities – in Germany, England, France, the Czech Republic, China and North America. Branches and agencies ensure the company's close proximity to customers, a goal Wanzl has strived to meet since its founding.

About Technibilt
Technibilt is North America's leading manufacturer of shopping carts, with more than 60 years of experience. Technibilt is committed to providing customers with the highest quality products and benchmark customer service.  Technibilt joined the Wanzl family of companies in 2012 and is the world leader in shopping cart production, located in Newton, North Carolina. 

SOURCE Wanzl